Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The People’s United Community Foundation, the philanthropic arm of People’s United Bank, announced today that it has awarded $10,000 to King Street Center in Burlington. Founded in 1971, King Street Center offers educational, recreational, and social programs to disadvantaged youth and families. Of the more than 500 children and families served each year, over half are minorities, most of whom are refugees and immigrants whose first language is not English. The center’s programs include an accredited Head Start Pre-School, afterschool programs and tutoring and mentoring programs.

Vermont Business Magazine The VA White River Junction Healthcare System issued on November 23, 2016 a presolicitation notice for deicing road salt. The period of performance for this anticipated contract award will be November 27, 2016 through November 26, 2017. Interested contractors must be able to provide 400 tons of deicing salt with a moisture content of no more than 1 percent, and deliver the road salt to the VA Medical Center, Building 43, where he or she must dump the product into the second bay from the right. The bay size is 13 feet 6 inches wide, and 12 feet 2 inches high. Contractor must use a vehicle capable of dumping a 22-ton load at the door.

After dumping the load of salt, the contractor must stop at buildin g 10 and leave an invoice.

by Mike Smith Recently, Governor Peter Shumlin appointed his director of health care reform, Robin Lunge, to serve on the Green Mountain Care Board for the next six years. She will be one of five board members and will be paid an annual salary of $96,678 for 32 hours of work each week. Normally, gubernatorial appointments generate little controversy, but this appointment is different.

Vermont Business Magazine: Senator Patrick Leahy: “Fidel Castro will be remembered as an ideologue who liberated the Cuban people from a  corrupt dictatorship only to replace it with a family dynasty that maintained its grip on power through fear and repression. 

Maple Capital Management First it was Brexit and now it’s the election of Donald Trump to the Presidency of the United States. In both cases, voters acted with disdain for the status quo and markets reacted with glee. Investors positioned themselves ahead of both votes for what was sure to be the certain result, only to be proved wrong when the votes were counted. The initial reaction to the Trump victory was a sharp sell-off in most markets. Asian stock markets were down 3 to 5%, European markets down 1 to 2%, and US stock futures 1.5 to 2%. US Treasuries rallied on the news, with yields falling to the low 1.70’s, before sharply reversing to the mid 1.90’s level. Since, investors have embraced the pro-growth policies Trump has outlined, causing equity markets to surge and interest rates to climb.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington-based Dealer.com has announced that its Digital Advertising Solution has been approved by General Motors as an in-Market Retail (iMR) Turnkey Product. The certification allows GM dealers to purchase Dealer.com's Advertising product and receive co-op reimbursement from GM for their investment.

Vermont Business Magazine While recognizing the tremendous challenges we face as a global community, Ben & Jerry's can wholeheartedly get behind a holiday that celebrates good food and giving thanks. We have an almost overwhelming list of things for which we are thankful; first among them are the people who have worked with us to create linked prosperity and a more just society. Here, in no particular order, are some of the partnerships that have helped us address justice in all its many flavors.

Fairtrade farmers. Under Fairtrade, family farmers are paid a fair price for ice cream-essential ingredients like sugar, cocoa, vanilla, coffee and bananas. That helps them improve their livelihoods, grow the most delectable products, and protect the health of our planet. You could say: "Pretty sweet." Or you could say it's chocolicious, a-peeling, buzzworthy AND sweet!

Vermont Business Magazine Governor-elect Phil Scott today announced the first four appointments to his senior staff. Scott will appoint longtime aide Rachel Feldman as Senior Director of Boards, Commissions and Public Service. Brittney Wilson will be appointed to the Constitutional Office of Secretary of Civil and Military Affairs. Kendal Smith will serve as Director of Policy Development and Legislative Affairs. Finally, Scott has selected Jason Gibbs to serve as his Chief of Staff.

by Michael Bielawski Vermont Watchdog Vermont utility companies are accustomed to sharing the cost of power, but a new rule that went into effect in September requires utilities closest to the power source to pay up. The Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) of 1978 requires utilities to purchase power from producers regardless of whether it's needed or not. For utilities in Vermont, the way those costs are distributed is changing in a substantial way.

Vermont Business Magazine One of our native wildlife species historically played an important role on Thanksgiving Day. North America’s native wild turkeys were the ancestors of the Thanksgiving turkey on our dinner table. Originally found only in the wild, turkeys now exist as meat-producing domesticated derivatives -- the broad breasted white, broad breasted bronze, white Holland, bourbon red, and a host of other breeds – all of them descended from our native wild turkey. 

What future for Lake Champlain? A powerful new model by UVM and other scientists suggests that climate change may pose greater risks than previously realized. The results may have implications for how the EPA and others manage and regulate freshwater lakes across the nation. UVM photos.

Vermont Business Magazine New research suggests that Lake Champlain may be more susceptible to damage from climate change than was previously understood—and that, therefore, the rules created by the EPA to protect the lake may be inadequate to prevent algae blooms and water quality problems as the region gets hotter and wetter.

by US Senator Patrick Leahy In our family, as in homes across Vermont and the nation, this Thanksgiving will be a time of especially deep and emotional reflection. After a bitterly contested election that tested our civility and fanned the flames of intolerance, we now move into a period that may further test our national character and our institutions. We already are ending a year in which a majority of senators have broken not only with precedent, but with the sworn obligation to uphold our constitutional responsibilities, by refusing to even hold a hearing on a president’s nominee to fill a vacancy on our highest court.